Monday, March 2, 2009

Oh MRSA-ful God, help us...

January 26, 2009 Washington, D.C. – A pilot study published last week by researchers at the University of Iowa has found high prevalence of MRSA in swine (49%) and swine workers (45%) on a commercial confinement operation with farms scattered in Iowa and Illinois. The study, published in the PLoS ONE, v. 4(1); 2009, is the first to demonstrate the presence of the dangerous MRSA strain ST 398 in the U.S. The results add to the mounting body of evidence pointing to farm animals as reservoirs for antibiotic resistant strains of MRSA under circumstances in which the bacteria are passed to humans.

The strain of MRSA (ST 398) found in Iowa has been found on farms in Canada and the Netherlands, where the strain has been linked to serious human infections, including skin, wound, breast, and heart infections, as well as pneumonia. In Canada, the pigs carry not only the ST 398 pig strain but also USA 100, one of the most common strains identified with human illness and death in North America.

Seventy percent of all the antibiotics used in the United States are estimated to be used as feed additives for chickens, hogs, and beef cattle. Antibiotic feed additives are used without a prescription to help animals grow slightly faster – and to compensate for crowded, often unsanitary conditions on industrial-scale farms.

"...pastured pigs win hands down when it comes to quality of life. The scientists say the pasture method could potentially boost Alabama’s rural economy enabling rural landowners to start up small swine operations, as an added source of income, with minimal acreage and little up-front cost."

1 comment:

We raise pigs on pasture here at our farm in Vermont. A bit over 90% of their diet is the pasture/hay, about 7% is dairy and the rest is apples, pumpkins, turnips, beets and such. They thrive on it producing a high quality pork that we deliver fresh to local stores and restaurants weekly.